Desmond even got his first curtain call after the homer in the fifth inning.

"I'd never had anything like that happen before," Desmond said. "I didn't know if they were serious."

His evening was topped off with a shaving cream pie.

DeRosa opts for offseason wrist surgery: Mark DeRosa, who has been bothered by a tendon problem in his wrist since June 30, announced on Wednesday that he plans to have surgery following the season.

"It's to the point where something is going to have to be done if, for nothing else, my peace of mind," the St. Louis third baseman told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "I don't want to go forward with this hanging over my head."

Lilly has sparkled since coming off DL: Since coming off of the disabled list, Ted Lilly has made five starts and has an ERA of just 1.62 in that time. Teammate Derrek Lee doesn't think anyone should be surprised by what Lilly has been able to do.

"He had a great first half, made the All-Star team and has continued it in the second half," Lee told the Chicago Tribune. "He probably should have a few more wins, the way he's pitching. We haven't scored a lot of runs for him. Since he's been here, Teddy has been nothing but a winner. Every time he takes the mound you feel like you're going to have a shot to win."

Madson waiting and ready when needed: Ryan Madson has six saves this season and says he's ready to go when called upon.

"If they call my name, I'll be ready to go out there," Madson told the Philadelphia Daily News. "That's all I was thinking. And that's going to be my mentality for the rest of the season. Whatever the inning is, just go get outs. That's all we need to worry about, is getting outs, at this point."

Brian Roberts joins exclusive 50-double club: For the third time in his career, Brian Roberts has hit 50 or more doubles and may have a chance to become just the seventh play in history -- and the first since 1936 -- to hit 60 or more in a season. But for now, the Orioles second baseman joins Hall of Famers Paul Waner, Tris Speaker and Stan Musial in the exclusive club of 50 or more doubles thrice in his career.

"That stamps my ticket, doesn't it?" he joked last week on MLB.com. "It's just one of those things. It's a number, really, so in the grand scheme of things, it's not that big a deal. I just do the same thing I always do, and if people want to put it in categories or put your name beside other people, that's fine. ... It probably won't change my life."

Pujols closing in on highwater mark: As Albert Pujols continues to put together Hall of Fame numbers, he's quickly approaching a career high in home runs for a season - he currently has 47 and has never hit more than 49 in a season (he did that in 2006).

"I don't know how anybody could ever be better than he is - ever," teammate Adam Wainwright told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "No offense to Henry Aaron and all those guys. Albert Pujols is really, really good."

Hester has seen time fly since promotion: Since being recalled from the Minors, John Hester has experienced a lot of firsts with the Diamondbacks. But the rookie catcher doesn't necessarily remember those firsts, such as what he was thinking when he hit a pinch-hit, two-run home run against Houston on Aug. 28 for his first career hit.

"I couldn't even tell you," Hester, who has played six games with the Diamondbacks after his call-up from Triple-A Reno, told the Arizona Republic. "There's about two minutes I don't really remember, but obviously it was a huge thrill."

Beltran glad to be back in action: In his first game back with the Mets, Carlos Beltran went 1-for-4 and nearly hit a grand slam in the seventh inning, only to see the ball fall a few feet short of the fence. Beltran had been out since June 21 with a bone bruise.

"Today I felt like a kid in the playground -- like when I take my daughter to the playground," Beltran told New York Daily News. "She's having fun. I felt good. Hopefully I can continue to come to the ballpark feeling comfortable at the plate and out there. It's been a long time rehabbing -- like 2-1/2 months working hard, trying to come back. Thank God I made it and I'm here."

Seth Smith the latest Mr. Reliable: With Troy Tulowitzki and Ian Stewart on the bench with sore backs, Seth Smith had a chance to play hero for the Rockies on Wednesday night and came through with a two-run single for a walk-off 4-3 victory.

"It's a different hero every night," Jason Hammel, who pitched 7 1/3 innings, told the Denver Post. "With Seth, you figure he can't come through every time. No one does. But he keeps proving us wrong."

Byrd riding post-kidney stone hot streak:Marlon Byrd collected a club-record seven hits during Tuesday's doubleheader against Cleveland and he extended his hitting streak to six games on Wednesday with a three-run homer in the first inning. The hot hitting follows a bout with kidney stones.

"It took its toll," Byrd told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "I was very tired, but at the same time you have go out there every day. The team expects me to play, so I'll go out there regardless of how I feel."

Nolasco gets rare win over Mets: Ricky Nolasco won for just the third time in nine decisions over the Mets, as the Marlins earned a 6-3 win on Wednesday.

"I felt good. Just trying to keep those guys off balance because they've seen me a lot and they've done well against me," Nolasco told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Lincecum ready to take the mound: Tim Lincecum is anxious to get back on the mound after missing a start with a sore back. Scheduled for a start on Monday against the Rockies, Lincecum might instead pitch this weekend versus the Dodgers.

"I want to pitch right now," Lincecum told the San Francisco Chronicle. "But it's what my back will take and what my body will let me do right now. I've got to take it easy and get it better before I make it worse."

Derrek Lee continues longball surge: Derrek Lee is having another big season, topping 30 home runs despite being on a team that has struggled this season.

"There's a lot that anyone can take from [watching] Derrek, and the way he goes about his business," Lilly told the Chicago Tribune. "We all remember that Derrek didn't get off to a torrid start at the beginning of the season, and he's no different now than he was in April. He was certainly grinding it out and searching, trying to find a way to get his strike going. But you never saw Derrek in a panic or overly frustrated.

"He always kept pushing along, and here he is now. It's a tribute not only to the player, but also to the kind of person he is. That has a lot to do with it."

Lackey finds success with battery mate Mathis: John Lackey pitched a complete-game shutout for the first time since 2006, lifting the Angels to a 3-0 win on Thursday and a three-game sweep of the Mariners. Lackey allowed just five hits and lifted his record to 10-7 for the year. Since Jeff Mathis became his regular catcher in mid-July, Lackey is 7-3 with a 2.31 ERA.

"Matty's been great," Lackey told the Los Angeles Times. "Since he's started catching me ... I've been executing pitches and we've really been on the same page as far as game plan and calling pitches."